WA scammer named and shamed

West Australian authorities have taken the rare step of naming a man who has allegedly sent at least $200,000 of other people's money to overseas scammers.

Gerardus "Gerry" Hermanus Jorissen, who lives in the town of Moora, 177km north of Perth, came to the attention of authorities as a possible fraud victim but they now say he is a perpetrator.

Consumer Protection acting commissioner David Hillyard said Mr Jorissen claims he has been sending money to the UK in the hope of receiving millions of dollars, supposedly owed to him as a return from an investment he made in the 1980s or 1990s.

Having run out of funds, he started milking local fellow Christians, who trusted him because of his religious beliefs.

Police are trying to gather enough evidence to press fraud charges as he is ignoring a court-enforceable undertaking with Consumer Protection banning him from taking money from third parties.

"Other community members have been conned into providing funds and they've lost the money as well," Mr Hillyard told reporters.